South Carolina Rep. Introduces Sports Betting Bill For 2025 Legislative Session

Sports betting remains illegal in fewer than a dozen states, and that number could shrink again in 2025. South Carolina Rep. Chris Murphy (R) has introduced a bill to legalize sports betting in the Palmetto State.

The “South Carolina Sports Wagering Act” would create a legal sports betting industry and the South Carolina Sports Wagering Commission to regulate it. The bill includes a 12.5% tax rate on sports betting revenue.

HB 3625 would regulate both SC sportsbooks and daily fantasy sports regulation. DFS is currently unregulated and untaxed in South Carolina.

If passed, the bill would allow adults 18 and older to wager on sports. So far, only five states and Washington, D.C., have a minimum betting age of 18.

Bill would allow 8 online sportsbooks

HB 3625 would legalize online sports betting in South Carolina. The bill would allow for eight licensed sportsbooks, all of which may choose an online sports betting partner.

Sportsbooks that are already live in five states could get a head start with a temporary license.

Licenses would last for five years before requiring renewal. All applicants would need to pay a $100,000 fee plus (once approved) another $20,000 for a supplier license to ensure the legitimacy of software and other operating equipment. The supplier license would require a renewal every five years, too.

Also would create a new sports wagering commission

The SCSWC would consist of nine members, three each appointed by the governor, the president of the Senate and the speaker of the House of Representatives. The rules would prohibit the following people from serving on the commission: previously elected officials, officials of a political party or those who have any conflicts of interest in the gambling or sports betting industries.

Once established, the commission would seek to adopt a “similar regulatory framework” by studying other regulations in states where sports betting is legal. 

The commission would be responsible for upholding operational and fiscal compliance, including accuracy and timeliness of financial reports, and could implement temporary regulations within 180 days of the bill becoming law. It would also need to supply annual reports to the governor, president of the Senate and speaker of the House.

Third time’s a charm?

Murphy’s bill comes a month before the next legislative session, which begins on Jan. 14. Along with having party-mate Rep. Heath Sessions as a co-sponsor, the bill has bipartisan support from Democratic Rep. J. Todd Rutherford.

This will be South Carolina’s third attempt to legalize sports betting. Rutherford introduced a joint resolution to legalize casinos and sports betting in 2023, and Rep. William Herbkersman (R) introduced a house bill in 2022 to legalize retail and online sports betting.

With more states legalizing online sports betting in the last two years, including North Carolina, South Carolina could have an improved chance of following suit. However, the bill’s proponents still have their work cut out for them in the upcoming session.